


Beautiful and Strong and Perfect

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Dragons, Gen, Partnership, Self-Esteem, Time Skips, With Age Comes Wisdom, Yuletide, Yuletide 2012
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-06
Updated: 2012-11-06
Packaged: 2017-11-18 03:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/556510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tarrie isn't sure how she could be so lucky as to stand on the hatching grounds</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beautiful and Strong and Perfect

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ilyena_sylph](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/gifts).



> I was so glad to get your prompts because I already wanted to explore Tarrie a bit more. I totally agree that many fantastic side characters in Pern get the short end of the stick, and it was a pleasure to flesh this one out.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also, much thanks to my wonderful Beta, Simply_Shipping, and my fantastic hand-holder, Katayla

Tarrie fidgeted nervously with the end of her braid as she watched the eggs rocking. She still felt bemused that she was even here, standing on this hatching ground as though she might actually belong there. The audacity of her presence struck her even more powerfully when the first two dragons had hatched. They had both dashed straight towards two people who she believed did belong there. David was well liked by all of Landing and Peter was a brilliant mechanic. Then there were the Connells across the room.

Tarrie remembered when, as children, new to Pern, they had all been in school together. Tarrie had mostly stayed with her brothers, avoiding the chattering girls, but she remembered all the adults doting on Sorka. She and Sean had even been the first to discover and Impress the dragonets! Tarrie had never been in the right place at the right time to attain a wild one, but she had been eminently lucky to have been able to acquire three of the Mentasynthed ones. She had been as surprised as anyone else when the gold that had been heading towards Jake had suddenly veered into her own lap. The only reason she had impressed Met and Golli was because they were from Sira's first clutch.

And, of course, she had managed to lose them to Thread. She had known that Sira had been clipped by a flame-thrower, and had thought that her two males were upset by that, but when a week passed without their return, she was forced to admit the truth.

Honestly she felt like the worst dragonet owner on the planet; why on earth had Kitti Ping requested that she attend the dragon hatching?

A sudden increase in the dragonet noise caused a dimming in the human murmurs and suddenly eggs were cracking all over the nest. Tarrie was too busy watching the brown closest to her to notice at first, but then a warm calm spread through her mind. Looking around in confusion, Tarrie found a golden dragon looking directly at her. "I am Porth," a delicate voice declared in her mind.

With an inarticulate cry of joy, Tarrie ran to her dragon. Eager hands thrust fresh meat at her as they moved beyond the waiting circle.

"I am quite hungry," Porth informed her, and Tarrie immediately proffered one of the hunks of meat.

Was this glorious creature really hers?

Unused to having her thoughts read, Tarrie was taken off guard when Porth replied, "Of course. I am yours and you are mine. This is as it should be."

And that appeared to be that, as Porth dove back into her first meal. Within a few minutes Tarrie's family crowded around her – summoned by one of the vet techs observing the hatching – and Tarrie lost herself in their love and congratulations.

^V^

Hours later, as Porth snored lightly after her midnight feeding, Tarrie revisited the moment of impression in her mind. She was overjoyed that Porth had picked her, but a part of her mind still doubted her good fortune. Not only had she been chosen by a _dragon,_ but the very _first_ Queen had picked her!

Tarrie was under no illusions about her place in Landing. She wasn't a brilliant student like Jake, or good with animals, like Petey. She wasn't beautiful, like Catherine, or brave like Mrs. Telgar, or likeable, like Sorka. She was simply average, and it was hard to understand why a dragon had picked someone average like her.

Tarrie didn't know how long she tossed and turned, obsessing over her insecurities, but suddenly a voice broke through her sleepy haze.

"You are not average, because an average person would not have been the right Partner for me." Porth declared, a little more sternly than Tarrie had expected. "Am I average?"

"Oh, no!" Tarrie hurried to reassure her. "You are beautiful and strong and perfect!"

"And you are my other half," Porth replied sensibly. "If I am beautiful and strong and perfect then you must be as well. I would not have chosen you if you were otherwise."

"I know, Porth, you said that earlier," Tarrie simply had trouble accepting something that ran so contradictory to the feelings she had had for years.

"And we will have years together for me to prove it to you, my chosen." Porth replied. She waited a moment for Tarrie to absorb that before continuing. "But right now I am quite hungry."

Giggling at her new partner's tone, Tarrie hurried to the kitchen.

^V^

Tarrie waited calmly beside the overnight hearth, nearly hidden in the shadows of the banked fire, but close enough for its warmth to soothe her aging joints. She wasn't sure if these were Porth's aches or her own, but on nights when there was a hint of autumn mist in the air, she felt each and every one. Tarrie had heard the Weyrling Master's quiet instructions almost an hour ago – this time of night, when the entire Weyr was asleep, even the quietest feeding was audible across the bowl. She knew she would not have long to wait.

As she waited, her mind flitted back to the night all those years ago when Porth had reassured her new partner. And then, with only a small ache in her heart, to the night when she had run her hand over a crippled wing and had repeated the same words to Porth. _"You are beautiful and strong and perfect. We were chosen to be together."_

Before she could get misty eyed, she heard another noise out in the Weyr bowl. Sure enough, a few minutes later one of the Weyrlings crept into the kitchen cavern. As he drew closer to the glowing hearth, she caught sight of his golden mane of hair and identified A'tur Jepson, who had impressed Blue Couth. She had expected to see one of the Jepson twins, and was only mildly surprised that it was not Anise of Green Silth.

Just as A'tur reached for the porridge pot, Tarrie stirred, startling him. The young boy almost fell backwards in fright and Tarrie smiled reassuringly. "What has you awake so late this night, young A'tur?" she asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Oh, uh, well…" He stuttered and stammered and she just waited, smiling encouragingly. "I… well, I mean, are you… are you sure the dragons always make the right choice?"

Biting back a small chuckle at the familiar question, the Weyrwoman poured them each a cup of klah and began the story she had told hundreds of times. "You know, I asked myself that very question when Porth first picked me."

"Really?" A'tur's eyes were huge in the dim light.

"Yes, really," Tarrie nodded, "and I'll tell you what she told me."


End file.
